Raid on Gwaithbaile
Ride to Gwaithbaile Lord Bainsbury implored the party to help out Lord Gwaithbaile by attempting to save his manor and hamlet from harm. It had appeared that the vagabond thief, Gesternah, was planning to attack Gwaithbaile while the ruling lord and a portion of his guard were at a conclave of the March Cavaliers in Dobrize. The party agreed, and with horses from Lord Bainsbury's stable, they rode furiously towards Gwaithbaile. With Freya's keen eye for passing through wood, the party charged through the Dobrize Wood to reach the roads of the Southern Marches, reaching Gwaithbaile at early night the next day, quite close to utter exhaustion. Defense of Gwaithbaile Although tired from the long ride, the party immediately went into action. They had arrived just at the right time, spying someone moving along the buildings and woods on the east side of the village. A portion of the party, Freya and Brocktharion, would move to immediately engage with the suspicious intruders, while the remainder would make contact with the guard stationed around the sentry fire by the manor house. Both groups would endure the attacks of bandits hidden aside the buildings and within the sparse wood. The majority of the bandits were probably recent recruits who were easily dispatched by the party. Yet there were some devilish bandits among the apprentices who possessed greater stealth and accuracy with their bows. Sadly, these hooligans were able to fell one of Lord Gwaithbaile's guards, and worse still, at least one was able to infiltrate the manor house while the fight was ongoing, stealing something specific from the personal holdings of the Lord. Nonetheless, the party was successful in saving the hamlet and the Lord's house from further disaster. Without them, surely more guards and townspeople would have succumbed to the raid of the nefarious thieves. Upon investigation, it was clear that Lord Gwaithbaile himself had been tracking the movements of Gesternah in general, but had not expected this onslaught. Jodah, the head guard of the Gwaithbaile estate, not only appreciated the excellent help from the party, but wrote a personal recommendation for them and accounting of their actions to be delivered to Lord Gwaithbaile while he was in Dobrize. The Lord would want to know of this unscrupulous attack and also of the bravery of the adventurers, so Jodah recommended they head to Dobrize in the morning to convey the news (and potentially reap a reward). A Meeting with the Lord The party road to Dobrize to find it teaming with nobles and squires of the March Cavaliers. Indeed, there was some sign of the monks of the Order as well, but they were of little interest at the time to the adventurers. The conclave of the March Cavaliers had been taking place in the center market square, so the party headed to The Welcome Inn, '''which was situated at the center of town. There they met with Lord Gwaithbaile and Doleth Born, one of the senior members of the '''Beasts of the March, a group of dedicated scouts who serve the land as well as keep the Marches safe from disorder. The Lord was infuriated by the invasion and theft in his house, saddened by the loss of his guard, Brant, but incredibly grateful for the dedication and skill in the party for their heroic defense of his hamlet. He rewarded the party with some gold as well as Lord Bainsbury's mounts, indicating he would deliver recompense to Lord Bainsbury for his loss. Lord Gwaithbaile and Doleth Born invited the party to join them for service against Gesternah and Tharnot Snarlfang, which they declined for the present. Yet the party was now in good favor with both the March Cavaliers and Beasts of the March given their service, and should they learn anything more about the scoundrels disrupting the realm, would they please convey the information. As the party departed The Welcome Inn, Doleth Born approached the party indicating that he was in need of skilled help should they find themselves in Banor in upcoming weeks. The Beasts of the March were now mostly focused on tracking Gesternah and Tharnot Snarlfang, so their resources were somewhat diminished in the east March by Banor, although problems had arisen there. They were to speak with Byryl at the Temple of Sapayo if they had opportunity to do so. Next, Guards for the Order Category:Campaign